The Potter Twins and the Chamber of Secrets
by InkedRose
Summary: Aralynn Potter must learn to navigate her life with the new knowledge of her true identity. Despite her guilt, fear of backlash from her peers, she begins to feel better about herself and life. Soon, she and Harry begin to experience troubling events unfolding at Hogwarts. As the people around them being dropping like flies, they must band together to stop Hogwarts' latest plague.
1. The Price of Guilt

The midsummer air was thick and sticky, even in the dead of night. Aralynn Potter had snuck out of bed and tiptoed through every awkward and lopsided level of the Weasley Family's beloved home. She slipped silently outside, through the tallgrass prairie surrounding the house, and into the small clearing that she often went to with Ron. She had been spending the majority of her time isolated from her family since the summer holidays began. It wasn't that she didn't want to be around them. It was more so that she felt guilty every time she was. Everything about her life changed completely the moment she received her acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, only she didn't know it at the time. The truth of that slowly came to fruition, until it exploded out all at once when she joined Harry in trying to stop Lord Voldemort from stealing the Philosopher's Stone. It was down in that chamber where Aralynn learned that she was not another member of the Weasley, and twin to Ron, as she had been raised to believe… no, instead she was a _Potter_, and twin to Harry. It was down in that chamber where Aralynn learned that every single thing about her entire life had been an utter lie… where she learned that her birth parents were dead.

She had spent the school year feeling completely wrong—out of place. Once she discovered why, she thought that she would start to feel better. That ended up being a very foolish thought. In fact, she began to feel progressively worse. Enjoying the summer holidays proved impossible for her. The only thought in her mind was Harry. The nightmares that she had during her first year at Hogwarts returned. Only, they were much more aggressive. She often found herself lurching awake in the deep of night; drenched in sweat and hyperventilating. The constant anxiety she suffered was nothing like she had ever experienced before. Her family—the Weasleys—tried their best to calm her; to have things go back to the way they were… but they knew, as well as she, that nothing could be the same. Having their day-to-day lives go back to 'normal' was a thing of the past, as there was no such thing as normal anymore.

The Weasleys were still her family—absolutely nothing would change that. They were the people she was raised by and with, and she would never discredit that. However, she continued to feel increasingly guiltier that they _were_ her family. She was grateful to have such wonderful people taking care of her, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking of Harry… thinking of the awful situation he was in, being housed by people who couldn't care less about him. In truth, the situation Harry was in could only be described as abusive. Her twin brother was being abused by their maternal aunt and her husband. It didn't seem fair that she was placed with the most loving and inviting family thinkable… while Harry was placed with people who would likely let him die if they didn't have a legal and moral obligation to keep him alive.

Often, Aralynn found herself questioning Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's motives. Why would he place her with a great family, but Harry with a horrible one? It didn't seem fair—it didn't seem _right_. If she were to discuss these issues with her family, she knew that Molly and Arthur would quickly dismiss her concerns and tell her that she should never question Dumbledore. To her mother and father, he was the ultimate figurehead—a knowledgeable scholar who knew the best thing to do at all times. She supposed that was another reason why she had been avoiding them. She couldn't feel that she could talk about any of this with them. However, she knew she needed to express at least _something_. They had likely figured out that she was feeling out of place, and she wanted to reassure them that they were still her family—that Molly and Arthur were still her parents, regardless of having no blood relation. It would be wrong for her to completely overlook the people who raised her.

Instead, she continued to avoid them. She knew that she wouldn't be able to share her emotions with her family until she learned how to deal with them herself. The only way she could think to do that was by isolating herself—which proved itself to be _a lot_ of work. She constantly had to dance around Fred and George asking her to test their new fireworks with them; had to duck by Ginny whenever she wanted to practice her future spell stances; deny Molly and Arthur any requested bonding time; but the hardest and most painful one to hide from was Ron. Being raised as his twin meant that they were close—closer than they would be with anyone else. The pit of her stomach wrenched with pain every single time she rebuffed his attempts to spend time with her. The look on his face made her want to cry. She had never seen him so disappointed… so _sad_.

During the day, she spent her time locked away in the bedroom she shared with Ron unless her mother requested some sort of chore from her. When Ron would come into the room, she would leave and go to the clearing in the tallgrass. Then, after everyone was asleep, she would sneak outside and return to that clearing. Every single night, she wrote a letter to Harry. She was desperate to speak with him. It seemed like she had sent him hundreds of letters, but she had never received a single piece of correspondence back. Frankly, it was starting to scare her. Was he angry with her? Was he disappointed that, out of everyone, she was the one who ended up being his twin? Did he hate her? Not knowing—not hearing from him at all—was adding to her swelling anxiety. He promised to write. She remembered hearing him say that. Yet, he hadn't written a single letter. Not even a note. Had something happened to him?

While she sat in the clearing, she took a moment to look up at the moon. She wondered if Harry was looking at it with her. She sighed softly and returned her gaze to the piece of parchment in her lap. She hadn't written anything. She couldn't think of anything else she could say to him, but she knew she couldn't stop. One day, hopefully, she would hear back. She put the quill back to the parchment, trying to force any words out of her hand.

'_Dear Harry,_

_I miss you._

_Love, Aralynn_'

That was all she could manage to write. Anything else she could have said to him, she had already said in prior letters. She wondered if he had been writing to anyone at all. She couldn't recall Ron getting any letters, and she knew that Hermione hadn't heard back, either. He was either ignoring them, or the Dursleys had done something to him… and it didn't seem likely that he would ignore his twin sister and closest friends. Something had to have happened. She needed to find out what it was. It was in that moment, in the dead of night, buried within the tallgrass, that Aralynn Potter began to devise a rescue mission.

* * *

About a week had passed by the time she figured out what she was going to do. It was nearing the end of July, and she refused to let Harry stay with their terrible aunt and uncle for another birthday. She also thought it was only proper that she celebrate her true birthday with the person she shared it with. She was sitting in the clearing of the tallgrass in the late afternoon, writing down the plan when she heard footsteps rapidly approaching her. After a few moments, Ron came barreling through the grass. Aralynn nearly jumped out of her skin. "Bloody hell!" she exclaimed. "Ron, you scared me half to death!"

"GOOD!" Ron hollered. "I'm glad! Now, Ara, tell me what in Merlin's Beard has been going on with you! You haven't spoken to any of us at _all_ this summer! You've been avoiding us! Listen, Ara, I _know_ you're going through a hard with this Harry thing, but you can't completely ignore your family! We're all here to help you, that's all we want to do. I mean, c'mon, you know I love you, you dunderhead, and—"

"RON!" Aralynn burst. "Take a breath and let me explain, okay?"

Ron, surprisingly obedient, went silent.

"Thank you," said Aralynn, exasperated. "Yes, I've been avoiding everyone this summer. You're right that this situation with Harry has had me stressed out, but probably not for the reasons you think. Anyway, I'm _really_ sorry about everything. I promise I'll explain it all, but I'm going to need your help with something."

Ron furrowed his eyebrows. "Help with what?"

"Have you heard from Harry at all this summer?"

He frowned. "Come to think of it, no."

"Doesn't that seem weird to you?"

"Well… well, yeah, actually."

"Exactly," said Aralynn. "I'm worried about him. I think something might have happened. So, for the past week or so, I've been planning a rescue mission."

"Count me in!" he exclaimed. "Wait... how?"

"That's the tricky part," she said. "I have an idea, but it's risky."

"Tell me the idea."

"We take the car."

"The car? _Dad's_ car?"

Aralynn nodded. "Dad's car."

"Do you even know how to drive it?"

"No… do you?"

"Kind of," Ron said, then frowned. "Not well."

A grin spread across Aralynn's face. "I have another idea."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that considering the evil smile on your face."

"Fred and George," said Aralynn.

Ron thought for a moment, and then he shared her evil grin. "_Fred and George_."

"It's perfect! They're always looking for an opportunity possible to break the rules. What better of an opportunity than stealing your father's car to go on a rogue mission to rescue a friend being held, essentially, in a prison?"

"I can't think of one. They'll love it."

Aralynn grinned. "Just as I thought. Which is why I thought up this brilliant plan."

"It's a good one, I'll give you that," agreed Ron with a chuckle. "You know you'll have to talk to Mum and Dad, right?"

The girl sighed. "I know. It's going to be so hard to explain to them why I've been so out of sorts. I don't want them to feel the same guilt I've been feeling."

"Guilt?" queried Ron with a frown. "Why have you been feeling guilty?"

Aralynn laid back in the grass and looked up to the cerulean sky. "You guys are great," she explained. "Better than great, really. I'm not sure I could really find a word for it. Each and every one of you is amazing and loving and welcoming… even Percy. As a baby, I was placed with the perfect and most ideal family anyone could dream of. Then Harry… Harry didn't. Harry was given to our aunt and uncle who are awful and hate him and treat him like he's a rodent invading their home. That doesn't sit well with me at all. Why was I given such privilege while Harry had all of his privilege taken? Is it not bad enough that our parents were murdered? Did an abusive home have to be added on top of that? Not to mention, he has to deal with knowing that I was placed with people who love me while he was placed with people who hate him. How am I supposed to deal with that? How am I supposed to live with that knowledge?"

It didn't really seem like Ron knew how to respond to that. He seemed to be processing her words and going over the facts in his head. He seemed equally as lost as she felt. "Well, there has to be a reason, right? Dumbledore wouldn't do something like that just to be cruel."

The girl tugged at her hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. "That's what Mum and Dad will say. They'll tell me not to question Dumbledore. Maybe it's not my place, but someone should ask some questions about this, right? I mean, why did he even separate us in the first place?"

"Wasn't that because nobody knew you survived? I mean, not many people even knew you were part of the family at all."

"The world was bound to find out eventually. They did last year. So, I'm not sure I see the point of separating us if my existence was going to be revealed regardless."

"To protect you," Ron pointed out. "At the time, nobody knew you were alive or even existed, really. He probably didn't see a point of outing you before it was time to. He gave you the chance to grow up normally. Sure, you didn't get to know your brother until you were in school already, but you grew up safely because of that. Maybe if he hadn't done that, one of You-Know-Who's followers would have found you and killed you."

Aralynn nodded slowly. "Maybe. That's a good point. I hadn't thought about that."

Suddenly, the freckled boy perked up and appeared to be highly proud of himself. "Blimey! I outsmarted you?! I outsmarted Aralynn Weasley?!"

She rolled her eyes. "Potter, technically."

"Oh," he said with a frown. "Right. Still, I outsmarted you."

She playfully punched his arm. "Don't get used to it."

He grinned at her and then wrapped an arm around her. "You shouldn't feel so weird about being here. Even if you have different parents and a different last name, you're still family."

"It's not exactly that I feel weird being here," she said. "I just feel guilty about having such a good life while Harry hasn't. It doesn't seem fair."

"It's not," Ron agreed. "There isn't much you can do about it, though."

"Well, that's helpful."

His ears reddened. "Sorry."

Aralynn stood up and offered her hand to him. "Come on. I should probably make some kind of appearance to the family, right?"

"Mum will be thrilled," he said as he took her hand and stood up. The two linked elbows and began walking back to The Burrow. "She's been worried about you. She hasn't really understood why you've been avoiding all of us. She'll probably cry."

Aralynn laughed. "Well, I'll have to talk to them about it. One day, anyway. Maybe not just yet. We have a rescue mission to continue to plan, and I don't need her watching me like a hawk to make sure I'm okay after I tell her what's been going on."

"When are you planning on doing this, anyway?"

"The night before Harry's birthday."

"Isn't it technically your birthday, too?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess it is. That's something I'll have to get used to. I kind of got used to thinking that I'm already twelve since March."

"Well, you're not there just yet. Wow, I really _am_ the old one."

* * *

Ron and Aralynn walked into The Burrow together. The family had gathered around the table to have lunch. Percy was silently reading the _Daily Prophet_ while he tried his best to ignore the fact that Fred and George were throwing balled up pieces of bread at him. Ginny, who wasn't as innocent as everyone liked to pretend, was tearing apart slices of bread and handing the balled-up dough to the twins. Their father, of course, was at work. Molly was at the stove, preparing whatever food she had planned for the day. Ron took a seat next to Percy and glanced, not so subtly, between Aralynn and Molly.

The girl shot him a dark look and went to her mother's side. "Hey, Mum."

Molly looked at Aralynn, seeming surprised that she was talking to her. "Aralynn!" she exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you down here."

Aralynn grinned at her. "Well, I'm here."

"It's nice to see you out and about again. You've been holed up in that bedroom of yours for far too long."

"I'm sorry about that, Mum. I haven't been feeling well lately, but I think it's starting to clear up finally. I've missed you guys." She then moved to hug her. Then she realized just how much she had been missing her family. She found herself not wanting to let go of the woman who had raised her. She never thought she could miss affection or physical touch so much.

Molly hugged her back, tightening it before she let go. "We've missed you, too, love. I've been so worried about you. I'm glad to hear you're feeling much better now."

"Well, don't worry. I won't disappear again," said the girl with a chuckle. She moved to the table and sat next to Fred. He reached over to rustle her hair before returning to hitting Percy in the head with bread.

"What have you been up to while you've been away?" asked Molly as she tottered over to the table and placed a large roast beside the boiled potatoes.

Aralynn shrugged. "Not much. Doing my holiday coursework, some reading, some lettering writing."

"To Harry?"

"Harry and Hermione," she said with a nod. Clearly, nobody had told Molly that Harry had been completely absent this summer. "They're well. Hermione already completed her coursework. She's been reading, too. As she always does."

"Will we be seeing her in Diagon Alley?"

"We will. She'll be with her parents."

"Ah! The Muggles! Well, someone best tell your father. He'll be absolutely _delighted_. I have no doubt he'll pester them with endless questions!"

Aralynn laughed. "I'm sure they'll be happy to answer any questions he has."

"If they know what's good for them. Your father is known to be a very persistent man."

"Anyone who doesn't know that has clearly never met him."

Molly was chuckling as she wandered away, likely to get some more food. Ron and Aralynn took that as an opportunity. They both leaned close to the twins. "Hey," Aralynn called out in a quiet tone. The dangerously low volume of her voice told them that something interesting was afoot. It immediately drew in their attention.

"What's going on?" asked George.

"Sounds risky," said Fred.

"Sounds menacing," added George.

"We're in," they said together.

Ron furrowed his eyebrows. "You don't even know what it is!"

"Hear that, Fred?"

"We don't know what's going on, George! How could we ever agree?"

"Madness, truly."

Aralynn was trying to stifle laughter. "Boys! Please! At least hear us out first."

They both leaned close, sticking their ears in their direction. Always being foolish.

"We're going to get Harry," said Ron.

"Well that doesn't sound risky at all," said George.

"Nor menacing," agreed Fred.

"We haven't heard from him all summer," explained Aralynn. "I'm pretty sure something happened. I can just feel it. We aren't planning on telling Mum or Dad about this. We're planning to get him the night before our birthday. The dead of night. With Dad's car."

They smiled together. "Excellent."

"You know how to drive, right?" Ron queried. "I sort of do, but not enough. Not for this."

"We both do," said Fred.

"Dad taught us when we were thirteen," said George. "Sure he'll do the same for you two."

"Perfect," Aralynn smiled. "Okay, so, on the thirtieth, when everyone is well asleep, we'll go. We have his address. We can help guide you there."

The twins gave each other devilish smiles. "_Wicked_."

Knowing that Harry would soon be safe at her side made Aralynn feel immensely better. Of course, she still harbored that lingering shame, but she knew that she could not change the life he had been given thus far, but she could change the life he could have in the future. Or at least influence it. Which is exactly what she decided to do. Nothing was going to keep them apart. She was going to rescue him from the Dursleys by any means necessary. There was no way she could go to his house and leave without him. She would even participate in some illegal use of magic outside of Hogwarts if she had to. _By any means necessary_. All that was left to do was to enact their mission.

_Harry,_ she thought. _I hope you're well_.


	2. Liberated

It was finally the thirtieth of July and tension was running high. The four of them were excited about their upcoming expedition, but Ron and Aralynn were still worrying about whether or not they would have a successful outcome. Fred and George didn't seem to be quite as nervous, but it was also obvious that they were excited solely for the rule-breaking aspect of the trip. Not that Ron and Aralynn expected anything different from them. They liked Harry, sure, but their reasons for tagging along on this journey had absolutely nothing to do with him. They had spent the entire day imitating the sound of a revving car every single time they passed Ron or Aralynn. Ron had been trying to convince them to be serious for even one second so he could try and map out a route for them. Aralynn had been repeatedly going over her plans, checking every small detail. She wanted to ensure that everything would go smoothly. She needed surety that, given anything went awry, there was still a solution around it. There was no chance in hell that she would leave 4 Privet Drive without Harry in the car with them.

The day seemed to drag on while she waited for nighttime to come. Each minute was absolutely agonizing, and Aralynn couldn't stop herself from looking at the clock every few seconds, even though she knew that time would only seem slower the more she looked. Thankfully, Molly had been too distracted to notice how fervently obsessed with the time she seemed to be. She spent a greater portion of the morning dealing with a mysterious explosion that had come from Fred and George's bedroom. Aralynn assumed that they may have intentionally caused it as a form of distraction. Then, in the late afternoon, Ginny began having a meltdown about starting her first year at Hogwarts. Of course, she didn't know whether or not Fred and George had recruited her. Even if they hadn't, it was still convenient for Molly to have been continually preoccupied.

Once it started getting dark outside, Aralynn was nearly jumping out of her skin. The anxiety she was experiencing was absolutely filling her body with unused kinetic energy. She waited as patiently as she could for the time to continue progressing until she was sure that her family was entirely asleep. Soon enough (but not soon enough), it was half-past midnight. She slipped out of bed, tiptoed to Ron's bed, and poked his forehead. Amazingly, he wasn't asleep. The excitement for him must have been equally as intense. He hopped out of bed, dressed, and went with her to Fred and George's room. Before they could even knock, Fred pulled the door open, and the two of them slipped into the hallway.

The four of them walked down the ridiculous number of staircases, and to Arthur's light blue Ford Anglia car. They were careful as they closed doors, and as quiet as possible while George started the car. He drove down the dirt pathway for a few moments before shifting the gear, which caused the car to begin flying. Fred reached out and pressed in a silver button, which activated the invisibility cloaking system that their father had installed. They were on their way to rescue Harry Potter.

Aralynn peered out the window, at the dark hills that seemed to overtake Ottery St. Catchpole. If it wasn't the middle of the night, they would be various shades of green. She was sure that it was an absolutely beautiful sight in the daylight, considering it was even in the dark. She looked over when Ron gently nudged her side. "What's up?"

"What are we going to do when we pretty much kidnap Harry?"

"Run for the hills," Fred intervened.

Aralynn laughed. "Yeah, pretty much. We're going to grab Harry, all of the stuff he needs for school, and then we're going to get the hell out of there."

"What if his aunt and uncle wake up?"

"We'll think of something."

"I know you've thought this through. Try a better answer than 'we'll think of something.'"

She laughed again. "Listen, Ron, I have thought of _far_ too many failsafe options to list out to you. Just trust me—I have us covered."

Ron nodded slowly. "Well, you've never let me down before. Not yet, anyway."

"Oh, don't worry. There's still time."

"So!" George suddenly shouted. Aralynn jumped nearly launched herself through the car roof. "What's it like to be The Girl Who Lived, eh, Cherry? Glorious?"

"It doesn't feel any different," Aralynn told him with a slight shrug. "To be fair, though, we've been home. I'm sure it'll be different once we go back to school."

"Oh, sure," said Fred. "You'll be a celebrity then, Carrot Top. The first-year Gryffindors will probably line up to get your signature."

"Wouldn't they want Harry's over mine?"

"Harry Shmarry!" George exclaimed.

"Yeah, Harry's old news! You were the undiscovered twin! You'll be more interesting to everyone!"

"I'm sure you're both trying to be funny, but you're failing," said Aralynn.

"Oh, c'mon now, Gingersnap. Did your sense of humor die with your Weasley name?" asked George.

Aralynn rolled her eyes. "No, George, it did not."

"Seems like it," muttered Fred. "You know we're only joking."

"I know that," she assured. "I just really don't want to think about how everyone may treat me differently once I'm back in school. It freaks me out. I don't really want that kind of attention and popularity."

"Not sure there's much you can do to get around that," George said.

"I know," Aralynn sighed.

"Malfoy is going to have a field day," Ron interjected. "You know he's going to be merciless about it. Maybe he didn't bother you much last year because you scare him, but he's going to be down your throat this year. You know that, right?"

"Well, I honestly hadn't really thought about it until right now. Thank you for that."

His ears went red. "Sorry. I just thought that might be something you should be prepared for."

"There's a lot of things I should probably be prepared for this year, but I am not prepared for _any_ of it. I don't really know if there would have been any way for me to get ready, anyway. I'll just have to take things as they come."

"Roll with the punches!" Fred exclaimed.

Aralynn laughed. "Yes, exactly."

"Hey, Flame Brain?"

"Yes, George?"

"We're almost in Surrey."

Aralynn perked up and smiled brightly. "Really?"

"Have you ever known me to _not_ be serious?"

She stared blankly at the back of George's head for a long time before shaking her head and returning her gaze to the world below. Instead of rural hills, now urban houses littering the earth. It wouldn't be too much longer before she was reunited with her brother. With that thought, she suddenly felt nervous. It had been months since she last saw him, and she wondered how much might have changed. What if he had decided he didn't really want her to be his sister? He may not have had a choice biologically, but that didn't mean he would willingly think of her and treat her as his sibling. Then again, she didn't know why Harry would do that. She tried to push the irrational fears from her head. There was no sense in getting herself worked up over fictional scenarios.

Once they arrived in Little Whinging, George pulled the car as close to the road signs as he could. The four of them peered out the window, trying to spot Privet Drive. Aralynn had to roll the window and lean halfway out of the car to really see the small letters on the signs.

"Anything yet?" asked George.

"I see Sunderland Grove," said Aralynn.

"Merlin Way," said Ron.

"Cheshire Drive," said Fred.

George continued to move the car slowly towards the road signs. "All of these houses look the same!" he exclaimed. "How in Merlin's Beard as we supposed to find Harry?"

"Just pay attention to the road signs," said Aralynn. She squinted at one ahead, trying her best to read it. "That one is Aerodrome Way."

"There!" shouted Fred. "Privet Drive!"

George followed the road until they found number four. They slowly circled the house, peering through the windows to see if they could spot Harry. They went around to the back of the house, where they saw bars on the windows of one particular room. They hovered next to it. Fred and George took the opportunity to switch spots.

Ron looked at Aralynn warily. "Don't suppose that's Dudley's room?"

Aralynn was frowning. "I don't think so."

The four of them were staring at the barred window when the curtains moved back, and Harry's face came peeking through the glass. He opened the window as much as he could and smiled widely. "Ron! Aralynn!"

Aralynn smiled brightly at her brother. "Harry!"

"Hiya, Harry!" said Ron. "You weren't joking when you said your aunt and uncle's house was a prison."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "This is fairly new," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you, of course," said Aralynn. She reached behind her and grabbed a hooked tow rope. She latched it onto the bars and grinned at Harry. "Might want to step back."

Cooperatively, Harry did step back. He then took the opportunity to begin packing his things into his trunk as quickly as possible. Aralynn gave the go-ahead to Fred, who pressed down on the gas as much as he could. The car sputtered and seemed to struggle a bit, but after a moment or two, the bars ripped off of the house and went crashing into the yard below. Fred back the car up again, popping the trunk open for Harry's belongings.

"No way they didn't hear that," muttered Ron. "Harry!" he called. "Hurry!"

Harry shoved his crate into the trunk of the car and then slammed it shut. Fred shifted the car so that Harry could crawl into the backseat with Ron and Aralynn. Ron pushed the door open and took Hedwig's cage as Harry handed it to him. In that moment, Vernon Dursley burst through the bedroom door. He yelled angrily and incoherently. He then came charging at Harry.

"Blimey!" Ron cried. "Harry, get in!"

Harry was climbing out of the window and into the car when Vernon grabbed onto his ankle and tried to pull him back into the house. "PETUNIA!" the red-faced man screamed. "PETUNIA, HE'S ESCAPING!"

Ron and Aralynn both latched onto Harry and began pulling him forward. They were met with the tension of Vernon pulling in the opposite direction. Had they been any stronger, Aralynn was sure that Harry's body would have ripped in half. Fred and George then joined in helping to pull Harry into the Ford Anglia. They combined strength proved too much for Vernon Dursley. He was forced to release Harry's ankle, but when he did, he flew from the window and landed in the bushes below. Petunia and her son, Dudley, came running to the window. She looked mortified at the sight of her husband lying in the bushes. She looked up and met Aralynn's eyes, then looked even more mortified. "Lily?" she mouthed.

Aralynn looked awkwardly back at her and then quickly looked away. Once Harry was in the car, he swiftly pulled the door shut and Fred went flying out of Little Whinging. They were all sitting completely quietly for a few moments before they began to collectively laugh.

"Did you see him fall?" cackled Ron. "He's probably furious!"

"Oh, he absolutely is," Harry chuckled. He turned to Aralynn and smiled softly at her. By the look in his eyes, she would have to assume that he missed her. "Hey, Ara."

Aralynn embraced Harry tightly. "I missed you, too."

When they released the hug, he grinned at her. It was amusing to him that she knew what he was thinking without him having to say anything. He supposed that, as twins, they had their own unspoken language and understanding of one another. "It's been too long."

"Why haven't you written?" Ron suddenly intervened. "I've been writing. I know Hermione has been writing. Aralynn's practically written a book. Where've you been?"

Harry sighed. "Well, you see, I wasn't getting any of your letters. This creature, a _House Elf_, showed up in my bedroom one night. He said his name was Dobby. He's been stealing my letters. Don't think he meant to tell me, really. It just kind of came out."

Aralynn furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would a House Elf want to steal your letters?"

"He said that he thought if it seemed like none of you were writing me, I wouldn't want to go back to Hogwarts. He practically insisted that I not return to school this year. He said that I would be in grave danger. So, I guess that means you would be, too, Ara."

"Did he explain?" asked Ron.

"He said he couldn't. Every time he said something that he thought he shouldn't have, he started hitting himself. He's the reason for the bars on my windows. He came on the worst night he could have. Uncle Vernon was having his boss over. Trying to settle a deal, or something. I chased him downstairs for my letters, and he discovered everyone down there. He said that if I wouldn't willingly stay home, he'd make sure I do. He used his magic and dropped Aunt Petunia's cake on the boss's wife's head. Of course, they thought it was me. Uncle Vernon went mad. He told me I was never going to see any of you again—that I was never going to go back to school again. He installed those bars and has been keeping me hostage in my bedroom. Dobby _really_ didn't want me to go back to school."

"Did he say which family he works for?" asked Aralynn.

Harry looked confused. "What?"

"House Elves are pretty much slaves," explained Ron. "They work for prominent wizarding families. Usually Purebloods. Did he say which he was working for?"

"No," Harry told them with a frown. "He did mention having a 'master,' but never specifically who. I got the feeling he was afraid of them. I know, definitely, he didn't like them."

"Why would he?" Aralynn said with a shake of her head. "He shouldn't have to like the family that enslaves him."

"Well, all I know is that he _really_ wants to protect me. I don't know what from, but it's something. I told him I _had_ to go back to school. There's no way I'll spend any more time than necessary with my aunt and uncle."

"We don't blame you," Ron said. "Don't worry, though. We have you now!"

Harry smiled. "I couldn't be happier about that. I'd love to spend the rest of the summer with all of you. Especially you, Ara."

Aralynn smiled back at Harry. "Well, you will. Plus, you'll get to go to Diagon Alley with us. Hermione will be there, too. We're supposed to meet up with her."

"Brilliant! How much further to your house?" he asked, watching the sun beginning to peek out from its slumber.

"Not much further," said Fred. "Good to have you with us, Harry."

"It's a pleasure to be here, Fred."

* * *

They arrived back at The Burrow early in the morning. The sun was completely out now, and thankfully, the house still appeared to be quiet. The five of them tiptoed inside, looking around warily as they did. Harry paused and seemed to be enthralled with the magic around the house. The self-cleaning dishes, the spoon clock, the self-knitting needles. He smiled from ear to ear. "This is where you live?"

Ron's ears went red. "It's not much," he said, "but it's home."

"It's wonderful," Harry admitted, watching as Fred, George, Ron, and Aralynn's spoons switched over to 'HOME' on the clock. Sometimes he forgot how absolutely brilliant and incredible magic could be.

"Looks like the coast is clear," said George.

"No Mum," added Fred.

Suddenly, Molly Weasley came running into the kitchen. Her face was the color of a plum. She whipped her hands into the air. "WHERE _HAVE _YOU _BEEN?_ BEDS EMPTY—NO NOTE—CAR GONE! YOU COULD HAVE _DIED!_ YOU COULD HAVE BEEN _SEEN!_ WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Then she caught sight of Harry and she paused. "Of course, I don't blame you, dear."

Aralynn looked awkwardly at her brothers. "Well, Mum… You see, they were keeping Harry prisoner!"

"Yeah!" Ron jumped in. "They had bars on his windows!"

Molly pointed a stern finger. Her face was still purple, but no longer the color of a plum. "You two best hope I don't put bars on _your_ windows!"

Aralynn gave her mother an awkward smile. "Please don't."

"Yes, well, I haven't decided." She pierced the girl with her gaze before completely livening up and smiling brightly at Harry. "Are you hungry, dear?"

"Starved," said Harry with a small smile.

"It's scary how fast she can change," Ron muttered to Aralynn, who nodded in agreement.

The troublemakers—plus Harry—gathered around the table while Molly prepared breakfast. They were shortly joined by Percy, who was looking at them suspiciously, especially when he caught sight of Harry. For the moment, though, he decided he wasn't going to say anything. That was subjected to change at any moment.

Ginny was the last Weasley child to come to the table. She stared awkwardly at Harry for a long moment before completely redirecting her attention to the apple in front of her. She poked at it repeatedly with her fingers, refusing to look away for a single moment.

Harry looked confusedly between Ron and Aralynn.

Ron leaned over, whispering to him. "Ginny has a bit of a crush on you."

"Oh," said Harry, trying to avoid looking at Ginny as to not make her uncomfortable.

Aralynn leaned her head on Harry's shoulder, feeling comforted by his presence. Even though she had only known him for about a year, he felt like home to her. "It's great to have you here, Harry. You've been on my mind all summer. Especially since I never heard back from you. Blimey, I must have written you hundreds of letters."

"I would have responded to every single one," Harry reassured. "I was thinking about you guys all holiday, too. Especially you. I was so worried that you all had abandoned me."

"We would never do that to you, Harry. We're your best friends… and I'm your _sister_. Wow, that's still really weird to say."

"It's still really weird to hear," Harry laughed. "I'm glad I know what's been going on now. Don't get me wrong, I'm still pretty furious with Dobby, but at least I know you weren't completely ignoring me. I thought you might hate me."

"I thought _you_ might hate _me_."

"Now we're just running circles," he teased.

"Well, let's forget about that. We both know we don't hate each other, and we know Dobby was hoarding your letters. We'll just shut the book on that."

"I can agree with that."

"Very good," she said with a smile.

Arthur Weasley then came through the door. He had some dirt on his face and was wearing his signature pointed brown hat upon his head. He looked particularly happy this morning. "Good morning, Weasleys!"

"Morning, Dad!" they greeted him together.

Arthur moved to the head of the table and sat down. He pulled the hat off his head and set it down on the floor beside him. "Fascinating night," he said. "Nine raids! _Nine!_" He clapped his hands together. "Came across many enchanted Muggle items. Truly interesting things. Did you know they have these machines called the VCR?"

"What's a VCR?" George asked.

"Sounds important," said Fred.

"A videocassette recorder!" exclaimed Arthur.

"What's a videocassette?" asked Fred.

"Haven't the foggiest!" Arthur replied.

He smiled around at all of his children but paused at the sight of Harry. Aralynn figured he must have only noticed by the black hair amongst the sea of red. "And who are you?"

Harry stumbled over his words. "Oh—Ha—I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

Arthur was smiling at him. "Good lord. Are you really?"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Aralynn with a confused expression on his face. "Well, I mean—I—Yes?"

"Merlin's Beard! Such an honor it is to meet one of the greatest defeaters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Such an honor it is to meet Little Red's brother!"

He glanced at Aralynn. "Little Red?"

"One of my multitude of nicknames," answered Aralynn.

Molly came bustling over to Arthur. "Yes!" she shrieked. "_Your _sons and daughter drove that enchanted car of yours last night to rescue Harry!"

"_Really?_" Arthur said, full of wonder. "How was it?"

Molly sternly smacked his shoulder with the back of her hand. "Arthur! Don't encourage this behavior!"

"Right, right, Molly dear…" Arthur said, then grinned at Fred, George, Ron, and Aralynn. "Terrible actions! From all of you! That was very, very foolish." When his wife turned her back, he threw a wink in their direction.

Molly, who could see through his façade, went to muttering under her breath while she passed out plates of breakfast to everyone at the table.

Arthur then put Harry in the spotlight. "Tell me," he began, "what _exactly_ is the function of a rubber duck?"

Harry seemed to stumble over the thought. "I… well—I don't really—"

In the nick of time, the Weasley Family's owl, Errol, came crashing directly into the window. Harry looked mortified, while none of the others seemed to be remotely alarmed. Molly shuffled to the window to take the several letters from the owl's beak.

"Is he okay?" asked Harry, glancing concernedly between Aralynn and Errol.

Aralynn laughed. "Yes, Harry, he's fine. He's always doing this."

"Ruddy old bird," muttered Ron.

Molly shuffled through the mail, set some envelopes aside, and then began handing out the rest. Harry was surprised when she handed him the Hogwarts letter containing all of the course books he would need for the year.

"Ah," said Arthur. "Seems Dumbledore knows you're here, Harry. Thoughtful of him to send your mail along with ours."

Aralynn gave Arthur a sidelong glance before forcing her attention to the parchment in her hands. She still felt rather angry with Dumbledore, and she wanted to stand on her chair and shout about his misdeeds towards Harry. She had to control herself from having an outburst. Her parents, especially her father; admired the Hogwarts Headmaster too much for anyone to say anything otherwise about him. Aralynn respected Dumbledore, and in many ways; she looked up to him, but she still felt some of his actions warranted questioning. She exhaled slowly as an attempt to calm herself while she looked over the list of required books. She noticed that seven of the eight books on her list were written by one man, Gilderoy Lockhart. She recalled the name from several interviews she had read in the _Daily Prophet_. More specifically, she could remember how much her mother fancied him—how she swooned every time she saw a photograph of him. The thought of having him as a teacher made her nauseous.

"This is quite a list, Mum," said Percy. "Can we afford this?"

"We'll manage," Molly answered.

"We always do!" Arthur added cheerily. "Now, come, Harry—the rubber duck?"

"Oh, _Arthur_," Molly scolded, but gently. "Let the poor boy have his breakfast!"

"As you wish, my dear," the man answered but nodded at Harry. Then, quietly, he added, "we'll resume this conversation later."

* * *

As the day carried on, Ron and Aralynn spent their time with Harry—laughing about things that had happened in their first year at Hogwarts, but also catching each other up on what had happened over their summer holiday. Aralynn didn't have much to report, considering she had spent most of her time skulking around by herself. Harry's recap wasn't particularly exciting, either; as his aunt and uncle were very restrictive about what he could do, but nonetheless, they were glad to hear it. Overall, they were both just glad that Harry was alive and well. As time progressed later in the evening, Aralynn snuck out by herself to sit in her spot in the tallgrass prairie. She looked up to the multicolored sky, and found herself absolutely dreading her second year at Hogwarts. There was a very real possibility that everyone would be treating her differently considering the new information that had come to light. She didn't want any of her friends to now think of her as unfamiliar. Another factor was Draco Malfoy. She knew that slimy little git would do everything in his power to torture her as much as possible about being a Potter. She envisioned the countless newfound orphan jokes he would be telling, or insulting the Weasleys in any way he could. Which, he would.

"Ara?" came a voice.

She jumped and let out a quiet yelp of surprise. She turned to see her brother standing there, looking at her with the same eyes she had. "Oh, Harry. I wasn't expecting you."

"Isn't that the point of sneaking away?" he asked as he took a seat next to her.

"I suppose it is," she said with a gentle laugh. "What're you doing out here?"

"Looking for you."

"Why?"

"I was worried."

Aralynn chuckled. "About _me?_ Why would you ever worry about me?"

"This is all new to you."

"What is?"

"The Potter thing. The orphan thing."

"It's pretty new to you, too."

"The famous thing is new for me," he said. "So, I suppose, in a way; the Potter thing is, too, but… the orphan thing? Not so new."

"How did you deal with it?"

"What d'you mean?"

"You didn't have a good family who raised you, like I did. So, how did you deal with knowing that your—_our_—parents were dead?"

"I've spent a lot of lonely nights missing them… people I've never met… but also, I didn't really have a choice. This is all I've known. It's not like I knew them, and then they died. From the earliest point I can remember, they've always been gone. It's sad, but it's also familiar. I think it would be impossible if I had actually known them. It's hard without knowing them."

Aralynn turned her head away, as tears had begun to well. "I'm so sorry, Harry."

"What for?"

"That this is the life you've been given," she said, doing her best to keep her sobs from slipping out. "It's not fair. Look at the life I have—the family I have. You didn't have anything even _close_ to that. Does that seem right to you? Fair?"

"What's fair?" asked Harry.

Aralynn was taken aback. She paused and looked at her brother, even with the tears rolling down her cheeks. _What's fair?_ It was a question that called for much philosophy, but little answer. She tried to think of some response, but she only found herself stumbling over words that she hadn't yet developed.

He frowned and wiped her cheeks. "Ara, you're crying."

"What's _fair?_" she repeated, staring at him with her mouth agape.

The black-haired boy shrugged slowly. "Was it fair that our parents died? Was it fair that we survived? Was it fair that we were separated? I mean, is _anything_ fair? Does fairness even exist? So, I ask again… what's fair?"

She released a short breath. "Nothing."

"That's my thinking," he said with a small smile. "I don't think fairness is real. I think that things happen, and things will happen. Whether or not that outcome is good is determined by a lot of different things." He looked at the sky for a long moment. "You shouldn't be sorry for any of this. None of it's your fault, and I'm sure that there was a reason for it being like this."

Aralynn scoffed. "Dumbledore always has a reason, doesn't he?"

Harry looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "I'm sure he does. I don't think he'd do anything without having some sort of explanation."

"Is it possible for him to explain away leaving you in an abusive home?"

"I'm sure it is."

She sighed sharply. "I know how much you all love Dumbledore. Don't get me wrong. I do, too, but I feel like sometimes someone should question his actions and his motives. Maybe there is a perfectly good explanation for it, but that doesn't make it right, does it? I'm sure he could have found another alternative. I mean, I don't even understand why he separated us to begin with! To an extent, maybe—oh, sure, everyone thought I was dead, but who cares? They were bound to find out eventually, right? So why—"

Harry grasped her shoulders tightly and turned her towards him. "Aralynn, take a breath." When she finally calmed a bit, he continued. "I've asked myself a lot of the same questions over the summer. Believe me, I have. I want to ask Dumbledore for an explanation as much as you do, but you know what? He won't answer. He's not going to say anything about this situation until he feels the time is right. You know that. What I do know, for certain, is that Dumbledore is a good man. He's done everything he has to protect us… and he did. For eleven years, he protected us. That has to count for something."

"It does," Aralynn agreed quietly. She was feeling very small and ashamed in that moment. "It counts, but it was also eleven long years we had to spend away from each other."

"I know," he nodded. "That makes me sad, but we know now. We're together now."

"What if it changes?"

"It won't."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

"How?"

"I won't let it change. _That's_ how I know. Do you really think that I, for any reason, would let go of you? Especially knowing who you are to me? No way."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Ara."

* * *

Speaking with Harry seemed to be exactly what Aralynn needed. After their conversation, she began feeling, at least, somewhat better. While she was still apprehensive about the upcoming schoolyear, she was feeling more at ease than before. So long as she had Harry and her friends, she would be just fine. The Potter twins were laughing as they walked back into The Burrow. It was surprisingly quiet inside, which Aralynn found vaguely suspicious. She and Harry entered the kitchen, and immediately stopped in their tracks. The room was completely decorated with streamers and balloons and enchanted floating candles, just like the ones in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. There was a banner enchanted to wave and wiggle and dance above the table. It read 'HARRY & ARALYNN' in Molly's frilly handwriting. There were small, surprisingly quiet, fireworks going off around the banner. Sitting on the table was a three-tier cake with pale yellow frosting with maroon icing to accent it, and candles circling each level of it. The entire Weasley Family (save for Bill and Charlie, of course) were standing behind the table with smiles on their faces. They had planned this entire thing for the two of them.

Ron grinned goofily at them. "Happy birthday, Harry! Happy birthday, Ara!"

Molly ambled over excitedly and kissed the both of them on the cheek. "Happy birthday, darlings!"

Harry was stunned. "Wow, thank you. I—I don't know what to say."

"Oh, you needn't say anything!" Molly exclaimed. "We would never welcome you to our home on your birthday without having a little celebration."

"This is amazing," he said with a grin. "I've never had this before."

Molly looked saddened by this. Arthur stepped forward to fill the quiet lull before his wife began ranting about how awful the Dursleys were. "Well, you're having it now… and you'll continue to, so long as you're a part of this family."

"P-Part of the family?"

"Of course," Molly said softly, motheringly. "You're our family just as much as our Aralynn is."

Harry quickly wiped his eyes. "Thank you so much. Truly."

Ron smiled and approached Harry, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We love you, Harry."

Aralynn smiled at her twin brother. "We really do."

"I love all of you, too. Thank you, again. This is incredible."

Molly waved her hand rapidly. "Oh, you've thanked us enough, Harry. Come on, now. Let's have some cake!"

Harry and Aralynn went to the table and sat down with the rest of the family. They waited while Molly began cutting into their birthday cake. Fred and George slipped a few Zonko's candies to them. "For the second set of twins, something sweet."

Aralynn stopped Harry as he began to unwrap one. "I wouldn't eat that yet. Just trust me on this one, okay?"

Harry looked confused, but nodded and put the piece of candy down. Trusting her seemed to be the safest option when it came to Fred and George. "I can't believe this is happening," he said to Aralynn and Ron. "I've never _really_ celebrated a birthday. Feels weird, honestly."

"Best get used to it," Ron told his friend. "Mum never lets anyone's birthday go by. Even when we're at school. She always sends something."

"She _always_ does," Aralynn agreed. "Since you're an honorary Weasley, you should always expect a party or present—something."

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't feel like I deserve this."

"Well, get that nonsense out of your head," Aralynn ordered.

Ron nodded agreeingly. "Yeah! You do deserve this, Harry. Besides, there's no way around getting any of it, so you might as well accept it. Mum is stubborn."

"She's the most stubborn woman I know," Aralynn laughed.

"Yeah, well, you're the second most stubborn," Ron said.

Aralynn smiled proudly. "I know."

"You two are like the better-behaved versions of Fred and George," said Harry with a chuckle. "It's funny to watch you interact."

"I'm sure we'll get to that point!" Aralynn said. "We're actually twins, after all."

"By the way, Harry, thanks," said Ron.

The black-haired boy looked confused. "For what?"

"Taking Ara off my hands. I couldn't be more thrilled that she's not my twin!"

Harry laughed. "Well, I'm happy to help."

Aralynn, however, gave him a death stare. "That's just rude, Ronald."

"Yes, well, you're a pain, _Aralynn_."

As Molly placed a piece of cake before her, she scooped up a small portion of it and threw it at Ron. This, of course, sparked cause for retaliation. He attempted to throw some back at her, but it ended up hitting George instead. After this, all hell broke loose. It didn't take long for everyone in at the table to begin throwing pieces of cake at each other. Molly was screaming as loudly as she could to try and get everybody to stop, but to no avail. Even Percy joined in on the shenanigans, surprisingly enough. Before long, Molly could even be seen throwing the cake. By the time they were finished, everyone and everything in the kitchen was covered in vanilla cake and multicolored frosting. It was a complete disaster, but the laughter that filled the home surely made it well worth it. At least until Molly realized the absolute havoc it had caused.

Once they settled down, they ate the remainder of the cake and helped the Weasley matriarch clean (which they assumed would happen). Needless to say, it was one of the best birthdays Aralynn had celebrated. It wasn't particularly unique from any other birthday she had experienced, albeit being on the wrong day—but the defining factor was Harry. Being with him made the commemoration that much more special. In that moment, her heart had never felt fuller. She felt incredibly thankful for every single person in her life.

Once nighttime came around, Molly bunked Aralynn with Ginny so that Harry could take her bed. She wanted their guest to feel as comfortable as possible, and so she roomed him with his best friend. Aralynn waited patiently in Ginny's bedroom for Molly to stop moving about the house. Once she felt that her mother had settled into bed, she crept out of her younger sister's room and back into her own bedroom. Ron was dead asleep, but Harry still seemed to be awake. Aralynn tiptoed to her bed and slipped into it beside her twin brother. When she did, he opened his eyes and smiled at her. Neither of them said anything, but they curled up in each other's arm and fell peacefully asleep, relaxed by each other's presence.

In that moment, nothing could pry Harry and Aralynn Potter apart.


	3. Celebrity Endorsement

Having Harry around for the remainder of summer was like a dream come true. It was one thing to spend time with him during the schoolyear, where they had classes together and the overall atmosphere seemed to be much more professional—and it was another thing to have spent leisurely time with him, where they had no set schedules or anything specific to do. It had gotten to the point where having him around at every moment felt completely natural. It was almost as though he were living with the Weasleys. Aralynn wished, more than anything, that he were. The longer he was with them, the more she considered asking Molly if he _could_ live with them. She was sure that the Dursleys would be more than happy to be rid of him. While she would still have to ask Harry for his thoughts, she felt confident that he would be thrilled to agree. The only true roadblock seemed to come from Albus Dumbledore. While Harry didn't exactly need his permission to move, she assumed that he would still feel the need to ask the headmaster's opinion about it. With the reasons he had, whether legitimate or not, she had the gnawing feeling that he would deny Harry's request. Why? She didn't know. She had been trying not to question his motives so much, as Harry was extremely insistent that he would have had a very good and viable explanation for placing him with their aunt and uncle. Admittedly, she still had her doubts, but she decided that keeping them to herself would be for the best.

Since it was late August, they were preparing for their trip to Diagon Alley. The frenzy to find forgotten or lost money started again. At this point, it had become an annual occurrence. They may as well have considered it to be a tradition. Aralynn sure did.

The Weasleys buckled frantically around the house. They tore apart everything in their path. The house was absolutely full of mess and noise. Harry made sure to keep himself out of the way, looking entirely bewildered by the process. Every so often, he halfheartedly looked through random objects. It was obvious that he wanted to be helpful, but he had no idea how. Instead, he simply stood back and watched, looking dumbfounded. Aralynn took a moment away from searching underneath the furniture to pat her brother's shoulder. "Welcome to the nuthouse," she said with a small laugh. "It's always chaotic around here. You'll get used to it."

"I want to help," he said, picking up a jar and turning it upside. Nothing, however, fell out. "Only, I don't really know where to look with you guys. I feel stupid just standing here."

"We're an odd bunch, Harry. I wouldn't be surprised if you never caught onto all of our madness. Until you learn the lost money system, it's probably best you stay out of the way. The Weasleys somehow managed to make this into a competitive sport of sorts. Don't ask me how."

"Are you saying I could get torn down in the path of a determined Weasley?"

Aralynn looked very serious. "Yes. I am."

He blinked at her and then nodded, taking a seat on one of the couches. "Okay. I'll just sit here."

"When one of us comes along and starts ripping off cushions—"

"—Move," he finished. "Got it."

Aralynn patted the top of his head playfully. "Smart boy."

Arthur Weasley came sprinting into the room. "What's the count?"

Molly was following behind him. "We're just seven sickles shy of being able to buy all of the kids' books secondhand."

"SEVEN SICKLES SHORT!" Arthur shouted as loudly as he could, as everyone was scattered randomly throughout the house.

Harry tilted his head. "Ara, we have money."

Aralynn looked at Harry and furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Mum and Dad left us money in a vault at Gringotts. A lot of it. So, if it helps, you could always get books with that. You guys won't have to run around looking for seven more sickles anymore."

She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. While it would surely make her family's financial troubles easier, she was somewhat worried about seeming like she was flaunting her newfound riches in front of them. It was something she would have to discuss with Molly first. "Maybe," she answered. "I'll have to ask Mum first, though. I don't want them to feel bad about it."

"Of course," Harry nodded. "Ask them and just let me know, yeah?"

"I'll ask right now," Aralynn said with a smile. She then went to find Molly. When she finally did find her, she just watched her for a moment. For some reason, she felt guilty about asking. The woman had scraped by for years to care for them all, when she could have had one less person to worry about financially. She felt that Dumbledore should have given her access to the Gringotts vault—the family could have fared better with some sort of compensation. Though, she supposed there wasn't anything she could do about that now. She walked up to the woman shyly. "Hey, Mum?"

"What is it, love?"

"Apparently my mu—Lily and James left Harry and I money in Gringotts, and Harry said I could use to buy my own books. It'll make it easier for you guys."

"That's your decision, Ara."

"It is?"

"Of course," Molly chuckled. "It's yours as much as it is Harry's. What you decide to do with it is your choice. Lily and James were your parents, as well. You don't have to feel ashamed to call them 'Mum and Dad' around Arthur and I."

Aralynn grinned sheepishly at Molly. "Of course. I just… I didn't know how you'd feel about it."

Molly kissed her forehead. "Dear, we had full knowledge of your lineage when you came to us. You don't need to feel guilty for it. Lily and I are both your mothers. Just as James and Arthur are both your fathers."

The girl smiled at her. "Thanks, Mum. I think I will buy my books. Now you guys don't have to scrounge up seven more sickles."

"Very well," said Molly with a nod. She then scurried off, likely to tell her husband that the search was off.

Aralynn went back into the living room and sat beside Harry. "I'll take you up on that offer."

"It's not really an offer," he pointed out. "It's your money, too. You don't have to ask or anything."

"Feels weird not to."

"Well, get used to it," he said jokingly. He was at least glad he could get her to crack a smile.

"Don't tell me how to live my life," she replied, laughing. "Are you ready for Diagon Alley? We'll be going later."

"Ecstatic," Harry answered. "I love Diagon Alley. There's something _magical_ about it."

"Could be because it's literally _full_ of magic," she teased.

Harry glared jokingly at her. "You know what I mean."

"Of course I do. I feel the same way. I'm sure we all do. It's just a special place."

"Will Hermione be there?"

"She will," Aralynn answered, watching Harry curiously when he seemed to be _extremely_ pleased by that information. "You miss her?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry nodded, trying to play it cool. "She's a good friend."

Aralynn, of course, wasn't buying the act, but she decided she wouldn't say anything about it. "One of the best. I'm trying to give her a run for her money this year."

"Competing over your course marks?" he laughed.

"Absolutely!" said Aralynn confidently. "I was off my game last year, but not this time. It's going to be a very tough competition."

"Ron and I are in for it," he said with a shake of his head.

"In for what?" asked Ron as he came into the living room and plopped down between them.

"Aralynn and Hermione are going to be elbowing each other for the top of our class," he said. "It's going to be brutal."

"Oh, bloody _hell_," Ron groaned, covering his face with his hands. "That's going to be complete _madness_. Ara, can't you just let her win?"

"No way!"

"You're both so _competitive_ with school! We're going to go gray!"

"That's not my problem," said Aralynn with a smile. "Deal with it!"

Ron was shaking his head. "Blimey."

"You better be on my team," she said warningly to Ron. "It's only right."

Harry looked between them. "What about me?"

"I'll leave that up to you."

"Well… I'll be on Hermione's team, then. Seems it should be even, right?"

"Right," she agreed, but she was eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'm going to die this year," said Ron. "I'm going to die, and it's going to be _your_ fault."

Aralynn rolled her eyes. "Don't be dramatic, Ronald."

"You do realize that you're _insanely_ competitive, don't you, Ara? You're going to be an absolute _nutter!_"

"It's all in good fun, Ronald."

"Speak for yourself, you tosser."

Aralynn waved a dismissive hand at Ron and turned to Harry when he began to talk.

"I can't wait to go back to Hogwarts," said Harry gleefully. The way he perked up when he talked about school made it obvious how giddy he was. "It's been so long. I don't think I've ever been this excited to be at school. Primary school was a decent escape from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, but Dudley and I went together, and he always had his friends gang up on me. At least nobody at Hogwarts is trying to beat on me."

"No," came Ron sarcastically. "Just a loon with a _seriously _evil dark wizard living off of the back of his head trying to _kill_ you! Much better."

Harry looked thoughtful. "Somehow it is."

Ron looked between Harry and Aralynn with a horrified expression. "You're completely mad—both of you! It's no wonder you're related!"

Aralynn feigned offensive. "I didn't do anything! Why am _I_ mad?"

Ron looked her dead in the eyes with the plainest expression possible. "Ara, I've lived with you for twelve years. I don't need to explain to you how or why you're a total nutter."

She leaned over Harry and punched Ron directly in the arm. He cried out in pain and clutched the spot. He pulled the sleeve of his shirt up, eyeing the spot on his skin that had begun to welt. "Look what you did! You're loony!"

"You're just a baby," Aralynn said as she rolled her eyes.

"Children!" called Arthur. They all stood and gathered around him. "Shortly, we will be traveling to Diagon Alley. Go upstairs, get dressed, and then we'll be well on our way!"

The seven children went to their rooms to change. Aralynn swapped her clothes quickly, as she had planned out an outfit the night prior. Once she was ready, she went downstairs and sat on the couch, waiting for Harry and Ron. Ginny came skipping down the stairs and right up to her. "Ara!" she exclaimed. "Guess what?"

Aralynn smiled at her. "What's up, Gin?"

"I get to go to Diagon Alley this year! I'm so excited!"

"I know! It's _very_ exciting. You're going to love it. Are you looking forward to school?"

"More than anything," said Ginny dreamily. "I've been waiting for the day I could go to Hogwarts for the rest of you. I'm thrilled!"

"You'll love it," Aralynn said. "It's a great place, and there's so much to learn. You're going to be one tough witch someday!"

"One of the toughest!"

"Heck yeah!"

Ron and Harry came downstairs. When Ginny saw Harry, she reddened and forced herself to walk away calmly. Ron grabbed Aralynn's wrist and dragged her in front of the fireplace with him. The rest of the family was also gathered around. Harry looked significantly confused. "What's this?" he asked Aralynn quietly.

"You'll see," replied Aralynn with a small smile on her face.

Molly picked up the flowerpot sitting atop the fireplace's mantle. She looked inside of the pot and clicked her tongue thoughtfully. "We'll be needing more, Arthur."

"Already on the list!" said Arthur. "Right, now, let's go!"

"Dear, perhaps we should have the kids show Harry how this works."

"Right you are!" the man nodded. "Now, Harry, this is a form of transportation in the wizarding world called the Floo Network."

"You take this powder," said Molly, tilting the pot to show him the silvery powder. "Step into the fireplace, state _very clearly_ where you're looking to go, and then throw the powder down. Here, we'll have Percy and Ron show you."

Percy took the powder within his hands, stepped into the fireplace and turned to face the family. He straightened his back and held his head high. "Diagon Alley!" he enunciated loudly. He threw the powder down and massive brilliant green flames rose from it and swallowed Percy whole. When they died down, and he was nowhere to be seen, Harry's jaw dropped with wonder.

Molly smiled at the amazement on his face. "Go on, Ron!"

Ron took a scoop of the powder into his hand, stepped into the fireplace, and grinned goofily at Harry. "Diagon Alley!"

Harry stared with wide eyes as Ron was also consumed by the fire. He stared at the empty spot for a long moment and shook his head. "That's incredible," he said to his sister. "Magic continues to amaze me."

"Well, why don't you experience it firsthand?"

Harry went white. "What?"

Molly put her hand on his shoulder. "It's your turn, dear. Don't worry. It won't hurt you."

Harry took a scoop of the powder into his hand and stepped into the fireplace. Aralynn could see him sweating. He looked extremely anxious. His hand was shaking, and powder was slipping from between his fingers. "DIGONELLY!" he said as he threw the Floo powder down. The green flames shot up, but also spurted and spit out a few reddish-orange flames as Harry was swept off to… well, who knew?

Molly stepped forward, blinking, and looked concernedly at her husband. "What did he say?"

"Digonelly," said Arthur, looking pensive. "Not quite the right place, but close enough to land somewhere nearby. Come on, let's go and see if we can find him."

* * *

The rest of the Weasleys traveled to Diagon Alley. Aralynn stepped onto the cobblestone roads and looked around nervously. She was worried about Harry and where he could have possibly ended up. She grabbed Ron and pulled him aside. "We need to go looking for him," she told him. "Mum, can we split off and look for Harry?"

Molly was frowning slightly. "Very well. Meet us at Flourish and Blotts when you find him, understand?"

Aralynn nodded. "Absolutely, Mum. Understood. Hopefully we won't be too long."

Ron and Aralynn took off walking around Diagon Alley to try and find Harry. The girl was so frantic about her brother that she couldn't even take the time to enjoy the beauty around her. She always loved to study the shopfronts, the new products, and anything else that she may have potentially seen thousands of times before, but still continued to love it. They were passing by Obscurus Books when Aralynn bumped into someone she wasn't paying attention to. "Oh, I'm so—"

"Ara!" shrilled Hermione Granger excitedly. She lurched forward to hug her friend tightly. "It's wonderful to see you!"

"It's great to see you, too, Hermione," said Aralynn with a smile. "Have you been here long?"

"Not very. We're just getting started," she said and grinned between them both. "Hello, Ron."

"Hey, Hermione," he said, continuing to look through the crowd.

"Where's Harry?" she asked, looking curiously behind them to see if she could spot him.

"We don't know," said Aralynn with a frown. "We came through the Floo Network, and we're not sure where he ended up because he did _not_ pronounce 'Diagon Alley' right."

Hermione frowned. "Well, let's go. We can't shuffle about and expect to find him."

Ron, Aralynn, and Hermione set off to check every single nook and cranny of Diagon Alley. They checked Amanuensis Quills, Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, and any other shop thinkable. Yet, Harry was nowhere to be found. Aralynn's worry grew into fear. What if he ended up in a completely different country? Her heart began to race and pound in her chest. Sweat began beading on her forehead. Before long, it was dripping. She felt her chest tightening, continually restricting until she felt she could no longer breathe—and yet, she was hyperventilating. Her limbs were shaking; starting as a gentle tremble before rapidly evolving into full-on quaking. She stumbled off to the side, reaching her hand out to press into the side of one of the shops to keep herself upright. Her vision had begun to blur and was becoming shrouded by white spots. She felt a hand on her back.

"Ara," came Ron's voice in her ear. "Ara, are you okay?"

Hermione came to the other side of her. "Aralynn, calm down."

Aralynn closed her eyes tightly. "I c-can't… _breathe_."

"Hermione, what's going on?" asked Ron, sounding panicked.

"She's having a panic attack."

"What?!"

"Move back, Ronald! Don't crowd her!"

Aralynn pressed her hand to her chest. Her heart felt as though it was going to burst from her chest. "Help me," she managed hoarsely.

Hermione leaned closer to her. "Okay, Ara, listen to me. Listen very closely to my voice." She took Aralynn's hand, put it against her chest, and began to breathe deeply. "Follow my breathing. Breathe with me."

"I-I… I c-can't…"

"Yes, you can. Just focus." She exaggerated her deep breath so her chest would protrude and fall drastically. "In and out… in and out."

Aralynn did her best to focus on Hermione's breathing pattern. She attempted to emulate it, but found it difficult to combat her hyperventilation. However, the more she persisted, the easier it became. Before long, she had synchronized her breathing with Hermione's. She was lightheaded, but undoubtedly feeling much better. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly at her friend. "Thank you, 'Mione. I thought I was going to die. That was scary."

"I've had my fair share of panic attacks," said Hermione, patting her hand affectionately. "You're more than welcome, Ara. I'm glad I could help."

"I'm _so_ worried about Harry. Where could he be?"

"I don't know," Hermione answered honestly. "The most we can do is keep looking. I'm _sure_ we'll find him eventually. Come on."

They continued with their hunt. As they were approaching Knockturn Alley, they caught sight of Hagrid emerging from the crevice. Someone much smaller was following him. They stopped and spoke for a brief moment before Hagrid wandered off. As they drew closer, the three of them became very excited. It was Harry! He was okay! Dirty, but okay!

Aralynn ran forward. "Harry! We were so worried!"

Harry smiled at them. "Hey! Yeah, I don't know what happened. I ended up in this really creepy store. It wasn't any less scary outside of it, either. Hagrid said that it's Knockturn Alley?"

"Not a great place to be," Ron said with a nod.

"There are some _seriously_ dark witches and wizards that skulk around there," said Hermione. "It's lucky that you ran into Hagrid. There's no telling what might have happened, given someone recognized you."

"I shudder to think about it," said Harry with a shake of his head. "Can we get out of here now? Where's the family?"

"Flourish and Blotts," answered Aralynn. "We were supposed to meet them there as soon as we found out. We should probably hurry over there."

"Not before we fix Harry's glasses," added Hermione. "Seems he's broken them again." She pointed her willow wood wand at his face, waving it precisely. "_Oculus Reparo_."

Harry blinked his eyes a few times and then grinned at Hermione. "I really have to learn that one. I can't believe how often I break my glasses."

"It's not very difficult," said Hermione, glancing at him. "I could teach you."

"That would be great."

Ron made a noise of disgust. "Let's get out of here before this love fest gets even mushier. C'mon, Ara. Let's go where people are sane."

Aralynn laughed and began to walk off with him. "Let's go!"

Harry and Hermione snapped back into reality and quickly followed after them. "How was your summer?" asked Hermione. "None of us heard from you. We were worried."

While they made their way to Flourish and Blotts, Harry recounted his tale of Dobby the House Elf appearing in his bedroom, trying to convince him to stay as far away from Hogwarts as possible. He also continued to explain how the creature got him imprisoned in his own bedroom. Ron and Aralynn chimed in with their lovely adventure to Little Whinging in their father's enchanted car. Hermione seemed completely enthralled with the story, but didn't hesitate to scold Ron and Aralynn for being reckless. "I wonder why Dobby would try to keep you from Hogwarts," said Hermione thoughtfully. "That's very peculiar. He even went as far as to expropriate your mail."

"He said there's danger," Harry told her with a shrug. "He wouldn't say what it was. Just that it's terrible, but wouldn't it affect Aralynn, too? Why didn't he go to her?"

"I don't know," she said with a frown. "Well, there's no sense in fretting over that now. You're with Ara and the Weasleys and you're well on your way to returning to school. There isn't much Dobby can do."

"I _hope_ not," Harry sighed. "I would hate to think about the lengths he would go to in order to keep me away. The cake thing was over-the-top."

"You needn't worry about it," Hermione said again. "That's in the past."

Harry shrugged as they entered Flourish and Blotts. "I suppose."

The four of them weren't exactly paying attention, causing them to plow into the backs of random strangers. "Bloody hell!" exclaimed Ron. He looked around, appearing completely dumbfounded. "I've never seen this many people in here at one time."

"Neither have I," agreed Aralynn. "This is mad."

Molly Weasley came ambling over. "There you are! Ah, I see you've found Harry! Where did the Floo sweep him off to?"

"Knockturn Alley," answered Aralynn.

"Oh, dear. How terribly unpleasant. Well, come along!"

The four of them followed after the Weasley matriarch. Ron shook his head. "What is going on in here?"

"I think that's the cause of the commotion," said Hermione, pointing to the back of the shop. Standing behind a table covered with various displayed books was Gilderoy Lockhart. Several _Daily Prophet _reporters were clustered around him, rapidly snapping his photograph.

Aralynn's face twisted into disgust. "Oh, _great_. We have to deal with celebrity endorsements. Sounds like a _lovely_ time."

Hermione was smiling girlishly at Lockhart. "He is rather fetching, though, don't you think?"

Aralynn stared at her, grimacing. "_No!_ No I do _not_ think!"

Hermione waved a dismissive hand at her, moving further into the crowd to fawn over Lockhart with a large group of women.

Harry was eyeing Hermione with a slight frown. "Who is that, exactly?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart," explained Aralynn. "He's famous for his travels and encounters with various different creatures. He's written a bunch of different books about his experiences. They've all been bestsellers. He's received a bunch of rewards, too. I suppose you could say he's a talented man and prominent wizard, but his self-absorption is nauseating."

"Everyone is swooning over him."

"Women fall privy to his _charm_," she said. "Why? I don't know. I want to kick him in the head."

Harry burst out laughing. _"Ara!"_

Aralynn laughed with him. "I'm sorry! I don't find flippy-floppy hair and arrogance attractive!"

"Fair enough." He looked back at Lockhart, who was talking happily to the crowd and cameras, but stopped when he caught sight of the boy.

"Well, _well!_" exclaimed the man. "It seems I'm not the _only_ celebrity here today. We've been graced with the presence of none other than Harry Potter himself! The boy who _lived!_ Why don't you come and have a photograph taken with me, Harry?"

Harry glanced around awkwardly. "Well, I—I mean, I'd rather—"

"Come along!" said a _Daily Prophet_ photography. He grasped onto Harry's robes and pulled him towards Lockhart.

"Wait!" Harry ushered, glancing around for some sort of help. "It's not just me here! My sister is, too! Aralynn! The _girl_ who lived?"

Gilderoy Lockhart's jaw dropped. "I'll _be!_ The twins who lived—together? Now, _that _is a gift indeed. Where is she?"

The crowd began looking through the various different faces. Aralynn knew they would find her sooner or later, so she decided to step out for herself. As she did, she made sure to glare at Harry. He was apologizing to her with his eyes. "Right here," she said.

The _Prophet_ photographer went to grab her, too, but she smacked at his hands. She willingly walked to Lockhart's left side while Harry stood at his right. The man wrapped his arms around them and pulled them close. "Smile! I'm _sure_ we'll make the front page!"

Harry looked at the camera with complete bewilderment. Aralynn death stared the lens. The photograph was snapped, and they were subsequently released by Lockhart. He grinned at everyone. "From the generosity of my heart, I present to both Potters my _entire _collected works… free of charge!"

The crowd cheered and began clapping. Molly came forward and waved her hands. "Come, now. Give me those books. I'll have them signed!"

Aralynn and Harry rejoined Ron and Hermione among the crowd. Aralynn continued to stare hatefully at Harry. He looked at her, seeming to shrink for a moment. "What?"

"Really?" she said. The hateful stare was fake and playful. She was vaguely annoyed, but she understood why he did it. "Ya _had_ to out me like that?"

"I didn't know what else to do. I felt cornered!"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll pay you back for that."

He grinned sheepishly at her. "I give you my full permission to do that."

Aralynn looked at him pointedly. "I would do it without your permission."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "I deserve that."

"No kidding," said Aralynn.

They moved off to the side of the shop as another wave of people came inside—likely to gawk over the celebrity. Hermione kept peeking into the crowd to check on her parents. She picked at her cuticles nervously as they spoke with Molly Weasley.

Aralynn followed her gaze. "How're they doing?"

"Great," answered Hermione with a grin. "They were very overwhelmed with Diagon Alley last year, but they've adjusted quite well. Now they just want to further interact with other parents. Is it okay that they're talking to Molly?"

"Of course!" Aralynn said with a smile. "There's no reason it wouldn't be. Wait until my dad meets them. He _loves_ Muggles. I'm sure he'll completely bombard them with questions."

"I have no doubt they will do the same," laughed Hermione. "I can only answer so many things about magic."

Harry moved to stand by the girls. "Apparently we're already guaranteed a front-page spot. Isn't that lovely, Ara?"

"It would be lovelier if you could've had that prime photograph by yourself instead of dragging me into it, but hey, what can you do?"

"I said I was sorry."

"Keep sayin' it, pal."

"I bet you just _loved_ that," came a sneering voice. They turned to see Draco Malfoy coming down from the second level of the shop. "Can't go anywhere without getting your photo taken, eh, Potter? Everyone always has to fall at your feet." He paused when he saw Aralynn. "I suppose that counts for you, too, now. Two famous Potters in the same place. What a nightmare. At least you're no longer a grungy Weasley, eh?"

Aralynn glared at him. "I would watch your mouth, Malfoy. I may not be a biological Weasley, but I still have the spit of one."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yeah? What are you going to do about it?"

"Hit you," said Aralynn plainly. "I've done it before. I'll do it again. I _will_ hit you."

"Enough, Malfoy," intervene Harry. "Do you even have time for this? Considering being a jerk takes up your daily schedule."

"What did you just say to me, Potter?" Malfoy stepped closer to Harry. "I'm not afraid to curse you into oblivion. Maybe I'll do what Voldemort couldn't."

"Leave him alone!" demanded Ginny.

"Who's this coming to your defense? You have a new girlfriend, Potter?"

The tall blond man with a pointed face came up behind Draco. Aralynn recognized him from her trip to Diagon Alley the year prior as his father, Lucius. "Now, now, Draco," he tutted insincerely. "Why don't we play nicely?"

Draco went silent after his father spoke. He stepped back, but continued to glare hatefully at all of them.

"Hello again, Mr. Malfoy," said Aralynn, staring at him.

Lucius looked at her, narrowing his eyes slightly. "And who are you?"

"We met last year at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Don't you remember?"

"Ah, yes. The Weasley girl."

"Potter, actually. But you knew that."

Lucius cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You know that now. You knew that then. At the time, I knew the way you spoke to me was odd. I didn't know why, but thinking of it now, that is _exactly_ why. You knew I was a Potter. You made a point of telling me without really telling me."

Lucius Malfoy smirked at her. "I can't say I know what you mean. Of course I know now. Who doesn't? However, I did not know that then. How could I have? Your existence was a secret."

"Liar," said Aralynn.

Lucius was about to step forward challengingly when Arthur Weasley approached them. "Find what you were looking for, kids?" He blinked in feigned surprise at Lucius, as he was pretending that he hadn't seen him. "Ah, Lucius. Fancy seeing you here."

"Arthur," said the Malfoy patriarch with obvious disgust in his voice. "Courting around children who aren't even yours, I see. How can you ever afford it?"

Arthur's eyes darkened. "Pardon?"

"Well, you have five of your own children. Plus, you're raising the Potter girl. How can you afford such things? I've seen your salary at the Ministry." He reached into Ginny's cauldron, turning over one of the books in her hand. "Yes, now I see. With tatty secondhand books. Tell me, Arthur, what's the point of being the shame of wizards, when you aren't even paid well enough for it?"

"We have a very different idea of what shames the name of wizards, Malfoy."

Lucius snarled, pulled the head of his walking stick out to reveal that his wand was hiding within the hollowed core of the cane, and pointed it at Arthur.

"I would recommend you put that wand away, Malfoy. Things might get ugly."

"Uglier than the disgrace of your family?"

At that point, Arthur had had enough. He completely disregarded the wand in Lucius's hand and went straight to tackling the man to the ground. Draco jumped back from the ensuing brawl, looking nervously at Aralynn. The girl narrowed her eyes at him, letting him know that if he tried anything, he would be next. It wasn't long before the entirety of Flourish and Blotts had noticed the scuffle. People came running to pull them apart. Hermione's parents looked appalled by the scene. After all, what else could be expected? They were the people who had raised her, and it was definite that they were just as proper as her.

Once they were separated, Lucius brushed the long blond hair from his face and glowered at Arthur. "This isn't the end," he stated, ominous and foreboding. He then grabbed Draco's shoulder and pulled him out of the bookstore.

Ron was smiling wildly. "Wicked!" he exclaimed. "Dad punched Lucius Malfoy!"

"Don't get too excited," said Percy, who had appeared behind them. "He could get sacked for this. I'm sure Lucius will inquire about it."

"They won't do it, will they?" asked Ginny with a frown. "No one loves Muggles or Muggle items as much as dad does."

"I couldn't say for certain," Percy told her with a shrug. "It's a real possibility."

Molly came bustling over. She pointed a stern finger at Arthur, then gathered all of the children into a flock. "Let's get out of here before your father decides to assault anyone else in the store!"

"He deserved it, Mum," said Ron.

"_You'll_ deserve it if you don't silence yourself right now, Ronald."

Ron immediately went quiet.

Molly led them through the rest of their shopping at Diagon Alley in complete silence. Anytime someone tried to say something, she shushed them. That included Arthur, who seemed to be on her blacklist for the moment. Once they had finished their errands, and everyone had what they needed, they stopped by the Leaky Cauldron in London for a bite to eat. Dinner was significantly awkward, as it continued to be completely quiet. No one wanted to face the wrath of Molly Weasley. She was even more frightening than Lucius Malfoy—even more frightening than Lord Voldemort himself.

* * *

Once they returned home, Molly immediately sent everyone to bed… including Arthur. Aralynn had decided to bypass sleeping in Ginny's room with her again. Instead, she curled up in bed with Harry, as she had been for the past several weeks. If he was going to be at The Burrow, she was going to make sure she was with him.

"Ara?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Did Draco's father really talk to you like that at Madam Malkin's?"

She nodded. "Yeah, he did. I remember thinking that it seemed like he knew something I didn't. I hadn't thought about it much until today. It made me realize that he intended for it to sound that way. It was the truth without the truth. He knew who I was."

"How? Nobody really knew you were alive."

"I don't know, Harry. He did, though. Somehow."

"D'you think he was one of Voldemort's followers?"

"From what I know about the Malfoys, and based on the unsettled feeling they give me, I honestly wouldn't doubt it. Not to mention, they're Pureblood radicals."

Harry was quiet for a moment. "Do you think Dobby was right when he said there's something dangerous happening at Hogwarts?"

"I don't know. I hope not."

"Me too. Can't be any worse than last year, right?"

Aralynn nodded. "Right."


	4. Hit and Run

Aralynn wondered if early mornings were peaceful for average families. She wondered if they gathered around the kitchen table, or even lounged in the living room, drinking hot tea and eating breakfast pastries. She wondered if the mornings were quiet and tranquil. She thought of people with families like that as both lucky and unlucky. They were lucky to be able to wake up and simply wait for their energy to kick in, but also unlucky to have an uninteresting family. Sometimes Aralynn wished she could laze around until she felt lively enough to start her daily routines. However, she was never granted such privilege—especially not on the day the family prepared to leave for King's Cross Station.

The Burrow was absolute chaos. Everyone was running around, finishing up their last-minute tasks and triple-checking to make sure they had everything they needed. Aralynn had packed and ensured all of her belongings were in order weeks before. Therefore, she sat on the couch and watched her siblings dash back and forth frantically. Harry soon joined her in the living room, his eyes also following the darting Weasleys. When Fred collided with Percy, they shared a laugh.

"Is it always like this?" Harry asked.

"Usually," Aralynn answered. "Especially since we're leaving for Hogwarts."

"Are you excited?"

The girl shrugged. "For the most part, but not completely. I'm still feeling uneasy about how everyone will react to me now. I don't want anyone to think I'm a different person just because I have a different name."

"I don't see why anyone would. You're still you."

"I know that, but I'm sure people will still whisper."

"Well, if they do, just ignore it. Nobody gets to tell you who you are. Only you do."

Aralynn smiled at her brother. "Thanks, Harry."

Harry nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Anytime, little sister."

Aralynn furrowed her eyebrows. "Little sister? We're twins."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I was born first."

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that."

"Are you going to go out of your way to find out who was born first now?"

"Yes. I absolutely am."

Harry laughed. "Tosser."

Aralynn grinned at him. "You know you love me."

Harry playfully rolled his eyes. "That _might_ be true. Who knows?"

"I don't think it's much of a secret," Aralynn laughed.

Ron came trudging down the stairs, dragging his clonking trunk behind him. Each thud down the stairs was agonizingly louder than the previous. Once he was on the ground floor, he abandoned his trunk directly in front of the stairs. He then shuffled tiredly over to the couches and threw himself across the empty one.

Aralynn cocked an eyebrow at him. "Ya alright there, Ron?"

"I _hate_ packing for Hogwarts," answered his muffled voice, as his face was buried in the polyester couch pillow.

"You wouldn't hate it so much if you were better prepared."

"Well now I hate you."

Aralynn shrugged. "What else is new?"

Harry drew in a concerned breath. "Oh, Ron, you might want to move your—"

Percy, Fred, and George were running down the stairs—rushed and under the pressure of time as Harry was speaking. He failed to finish his sentence before they collided into the trunk and the entire scene became massive and brutal wreckage. Percy's impact with the luggage flung him across the room, while his feet elevating rapidly into the air upper-kicked Fred in the chin, and Fred's knockback sent George hurdling backward and into the wall.

Ron's fatigue seemed to suddenly dissipate, as the devastation caused him to shoot upright with his jaw agape. Harry and Aralynn sat looking similarly dumbfounded; but it wasn't long before the three of them burst into wild and untamed laughter. Percy forced himself to his feet, looking angrier than anyone had ever seen him before. His face was as red as a kidney bean. Fred and George stood behind him in solidarity, looking equally infuriated. They began charging after Ron like bulls. Thankfully, Ron had been bright enough to begin fleeing as soon as he saw the pure anger in Percy's expression.

Harry watched them scramble around the house. "This is absolute madness."

"It is," agreed Aralynn, "but it's perfect."

* * *

King's Cross Station was absolutely blaring with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The new year at Hogwarts was surely contributing to the volume of people in the building. It was easy to recognize other witches and wizards among the sea of Muggles. Magical families always had large detailed trunks on their trollies, and unique caged animals to serve as pets. Another signifying factor seemed to be the apparel. Non-magic folk dressed much more casually; much more mundanely—while wizarding families wore long, billowing robes and colorful cloth. Aralynn found it amusing that they stuck out so sorely, and yet, the Muggles were never the wiser. They somehow consistently failed to notice the flashes of vibrancy soaking into their black and white lives.

As the Weasleys, and Harry, followed Molly and Arthur through the crowd, Aralynn fed small rodents to Amete in her cage. The owl ruffled her feathers gratefully and gave Aralynn's finger a gentle nip of thanks. They were fighting their way to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, trying to make it before the clock struck eleven. By then, it would be on its way to the school. Through the faces, Aralynn caught sight of Parvati and Padma Patil. When they looked at her, she gave the girls a friendly wave. They both gave her a brief and cordial smile before quickly turning away. Aralynn frowned, realizing that her public change in lineage was _definitely_ going to affect her friendships and experience at school. She found herself wishing she could rewind time, and change history so that her true identity had never been revealed. In that moment, she did not want to be a Potter. Things were simpler when she was nothing more than one of the eight Weasley children, and she wished her life could be that way again.

_Stop it_, she thought. _Stop acting like a spoiled little girl. Be grateful for who you are, and what you have. This isn't the end of the world._ She drew in a deep breath, held it, and then slowly exhaled. _Everything is going to be okay. Just breathe_.

As they approached the platform, Molly realized that the children were on the verge of missing the train. She ushered them all inside, and went with Arthur to escort Ginny through the barrier. Ron, Harry, and Aralynn were the last ones left. They realized the urgency of the situation and tried to hurry after the family. They took off running for the barrier in a single-file line; with Ron in the lead, Harry in the middle, and Aralynn at the back. They were ready to pass through the platform, until they realized they couldn't. The events unfolded rapidly and all at once. Ron was the first to crash his trolly into the column. The impact was so forceful that he went rocketing into the brick. Since Harry and Aralynn were following so closely, their trollies crashed into one another, and they ended up linked like a train itself. The Potter twins also went flying, and in the end; the three of them were piled atop each other.

The Muggle working the station came marching over to them. "Oi! What the hell are you three doing? Have you lost your minds?"

Harry stood and rubbed his neck uncomfortably. "No, sir," he said, "just lost control of the trollies."

The man cocked an eyebrow. "All three of you? Are you taking the piss?"

Harry had to think on his feet. "Well, you see, I cut this girl off suddenly and ended up knocking into the back of his. It just became a whole disaster. It's my fault, really. Apologies."

The Muggle rolled his eyes. "Open your eyes, eh? There're people here besides you."

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir. Absolutely. I'm sorry. Won't happen again."

The man eyed Harry before wandering away. The three of them stood up and stretched their now aching joints. Ron approached the barrier and pressed his hand to the brick a few times, only to be blocked with every attempt. "The barrier is closed!"

"Is that uncommon?" asked Harry.

"Very," said Aralynn. "It's _never_ closed." The clock struck eleven and released a melodic tone throughout the train station. "Well, we've missed the train. That's great."

Ron was frowning. "What are we going to do?"

Harry shrugged. "Maybe we should wait in or by the car for your parents."

Suddenly, Ron looked alarmed. "D'you think Mum and Dad are locked in?"

Aralynn shook her head. "I don't know. Harry is right, though. We should go to the car. Maybe they'll be back soon and they can help us figure out what to do."

* * *

The three children made their way back to the Ford Anglia parked outside. Ron and Harry sat in the front two seats, with Aralynn in the back with Amete, Hedwig, and Scabbers. She reached through the bars to gently pet the feathers on Amete's head with her index finger.

They waited in the Ford for half-an-hour before realizing that Molly and Arthur weren't coming back anytime soon. They didn't know whether or not they had simply gotten caught up talking with other parents, or if they were indeed trapped on the other side of the barrier. What they _did_ know, however, was that they had to figure out how they were going to get to Hogwarts, or suffer permanent expulsion.

Harry looked stressed. "What do we do? They're going to kick us out of school and I'm going to have to go back to the Dursleys fulltime. That _can't_ happen."

Aralynn tapped her knee thoughtfully. "We have to find some form of transportation."

Ron perked up. "Well, we _are_ in the car. Couldn't we just drive to Hogwarts?"

"Do we even know how to get there?" asked Harry.

"We could follow the tracks," Aralynn suggested. "Until we found the train, and then we could just follow it there."

"It's our only option," agreed Ron with a nod. As he was the one in the driver's seat, he turned the keys hanging from the ignition and the car rumbled to life. He directed it to levitate and began driving for the tracks.

Harry glanced at the confused onlookers below. "Uh, Ron… I've got to tell you—flying cars don't exist in the Muggle world."

Ron's ears reddened while Aralynn leaned forward and pressed in the button for the invisibility mechanism. "There," she said. "All fixed."

"Except for whoever saw us," Harry said while chewing nervously on his nail.

"Maybe nobody noticed," Ron blindly suggested. It was a true shot in the dark.

Aralynn shook her head. "That's highly, _highly_ doubtful, Ronald."

The boy sighed sharply. "Well, we can't worry about that now. We have to find the train."

As they drove into the countryside, they began to notice the invisibility adapter was flickering. It continued to flash until it failed completely. Ron poked at the button several times, to no avail. "Must be busted."

Aralynn looked around outside. "It shouldn't matter. There's nothing around anymore."

"All that's left to do is find the train," Harry said. It was clear that he was feeling extremely uneasy about their predicament.

Aralynn reached out and put a supportive hand on his shoulders. "It's going to be okay," she assured. "We're on our way. We'll figure this out. I'm sure Dumbledore will understand the circumstances."

Harry looked back at her. "If he doesn't?"

She gripped his shoulder gently. "Then you can live this us. I'm sure Mum and Dad wouldn't mind. They don't want you with the Dursleys any more than you do."

"Do you really think they would let me say?"

The girl smiled at her brother. "There's no doubt in my mind. They love you. You are family, remember? They said it themselves."

"I appreciate that they've been so welcoming. You have a great family, Ara."

"I sure do," she agreed proudly. "It's perfect now that you're part of it."

Harry smiled at her, but then frowned. "I never thought I would have a family. Mum and Dad are gone, and I never knew them, so I didn't think it would happen. The Dursleys aren't exactly family. Not really, anyway."

"Well, you have me—you have _us_."

"Thank you, Ara. Really."

Ron made a noise of disgust. "If you two are done being all sibling-y, I think we're getting close to the train. I can hear it."

Aralynn laughed at his comment and pat Harry's shoulder. "See? We're figuring it out."

The black-haired boy grinned. "Hopefully now we won't be expelled. Hermione would be so disappointed in us."

She laughed. "Honestly, I think Hermione would hex us."

Ron pulled the car close to the tracks. "She would kill us herself because, to Hermione, expulsion is worse than death."

Aralynn shrugged, laughing as she did. "Well it's no secret that she values knowledge more than life itself."

Ron shook his head. "Special breed, that one."

Harry was looking confused. "How close do you think we are? It's getting pretty loud, don't you think?"

Aralynn furrowed her eyebrows. "Y'know, you're right. It _is_ loud."

Ron squinted ahead, trying to spot the scarlet steam engine. "I can't see it anywhere. Bit weird, if you ask me. It's a massive train! It's hard to miss!"

Right as Ron was finishing his thought, they heard the blaring horn of a train. Oh, it was close—only, it wasn't in front of them. It was behind them. The three of them turned around to see the Hogwarts Express swiftly approaching the back of the car. They glanced between one another, silent and pale as sheets—before the frantic screaming began. Ron, panicked and not of sound mind, jerked the steering wheel as hard as he could. He hadn't thought about how the car would react with the sharp movement—his only thought was to get away from the train as quickly as possible.

The Ford Anglia rolled several times in the air before lingering on its left side. The door swung open and Harry went sliding from the car. He latched onto the handle and held on with all of the strength he had.

"Harry!" cried Aralynn. She lurched forward and outstretched her arm for him. Unfortunately, she couldn't reach him. If she moved from her seat, she would be in the same dilemma as he was.

Ron held onto the steering wheel, reached over, and grabbed onto Harry's hand. However, they kept losing grip.

"You're all sweaty!" Harry called.

"Can you blame me?!" hollered Ron. "We almost got flattened with a train and now you're dangling to your doom!"

"RONALD!" Aralynn yelled. "Now is _not_ the time for exposition!"

Ron reached for Harry's hand again. Once they seemed to have somewhat of a secure binding, he wrenched the car to its other side so Harry would come flying back in. Once he was safely inside, and the door had closed, Ron leveled the car again.

They sat in silence for a long time, doing their best to process what had just happened.

"Well…" began Ron, "bit of a close one."

Harry looked incredulously at his friend. "You think?"

Aralynn looked down at the train they were now following. "At least we found the Hogwarts Express."

Harry nodded. "Back to school."

Ron chuckled. "Back to normal!"

* * *

They continued following the train through rural Scotland. Even though they had missed the train, and their entire day had been thrown wonky, they were still thankful to be able to enjoy the stunning sights of vibrant green grass, thousands of tall trees, and mountainous ranges. Half of the fun of returning to Hogwarts was the scenic trip. They only wished they could be comfortable in a compartment with their closest friends, snacking on delicious pumpkin pasties and treacle tarts.

The closer they got to Hogwarts, the more the suspense of what would happen continued to swell. The pressure was so heavy that, if it were tangible, it surely would have crushed them. They wouldn't be exiting the train with the rest of their schoolmates, so they wondered how they would manage to sneak inside of the castle. Would they even be able to make it appear as though they were on the train as they should have been? Would they have to shuffle through the castle's back halls, hoping to go unnoticed on their journey to the Great Hall?

Finding a way to Hogwarts made them feel as though they had solved all of their troubles. They didn't expect to have to think of a way inside. Now that the information was realized, they were, they were antsy and fraught. The latter of their adventure was proving to be the tricky part. They could only hope they would think of a solution—a successful solution, at that.

Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Ron hovered around aimlessly for a moment. He was looking around and tapping thoughtful fingers on the wheel. "I don't know where to… y'know—park."

Aralynn clicked her tongue. "I guess just on the grounds somewhere."

He looked back at her. "Okay, and the car? What then? We just leave it in the grass all year?"

Aralynn shrugged. "This was your idea, Ron. Not mine."

"It was _a_ plan," clarified Ron. "I never said it was a _good_ plan."

"Well now would be the time for more improvisation, Ronald."

The boy threw his hands up. "I'm a one-time wonder, Aralynn. You can't expect miracles from me."

"No," Aralynn grumbled. "Only disappointment."

"I don't hear you coming up with any ideas!"

"I _just_ suggested something!"

Harry threw his hands up. "Guys! This _really_ isn't helping. Let's just park and get inside. We've already missed the crowd from the train."

Ron began pulling the car towards the ground. He was aggravated and muttering under his breath, mocking Aralynn as he did.

Though he couldn't see her, she was glaring at him. "Ron, if you don't shut up, I'm going to smack you upside the head."

"Yeah. That's you. Always resorting to violence."

"When it's warranted!" Aralynn shot back.

"Blimey, won't don't you two just get married?" said Harry. "You already act like it!"

"We would be divorced _so_ fast," Aralynn replied. "Being married to him would be an absolute nightmare."

"Me?!" snapped Ron. "_You're_ the nightmare!"

"I swear to Merlin, Ronald. You're making me nutty! Keep it up, and I'm going to—"

Before she could finish her sentence, she was cut off by a violent crashing against the car.

Ron jumped. "What the bloody hell was that?!"

"You probably crashed," Aralynn muttered. "You and your wonky driving."

Ron spun around and glowered at her. _"Aralynn."_

"Turn your fat head around."

There was another impact to the car, but more aggressive to the point that the car teetered onto its front wheels for several moments. Ron whipped back around to see a large fist-like tree branch sitting atop the hood of the vehicle. "The tree is falling apart."

"Could be," Aralynn agreed. "This is a very old location. Who knows how long these trees have been here?"

"Hermione, probably," replied Ron.

"Uh… guys?" interrupted Harry, who was pointing out his window to draw attention to another fist-like branch heading for the glass. It punched through, then withdrew again.

That was when the consistent beating started. Branches were coming down like roaring drums of thunder. They were being attacked by a tree! Ron tried to drive away from it, but as soon as they were airborne, the tree snatched them and pulled them in. Numerous branches and twigs were piercing through the glass and stabbing through the body of the car. They could hear the screeching of wood cutting into metal. In that moment, each one of them believed that they were about to be killed by a tree.

Then, the car seemed to fight back. The lights began flashing, the wheel started turning, and the horn was honking. The Anglia was going as wild as the tree itself. It began moving without Ron's direction, swinging around erratically; trying to push its way through the branches so hard that the wood was snapping.

The three of them were screaming bloody murder. Aralynn was clutching onto the animal cages with all of her might so that they wouldn't go knocking around. Ron withdrew his wand from his pocket and began tapping on the wheel. "Stop, stop, _stop!_"

The vehicle, however, did not stop. It continued to writhe and wriggle like a worm trying to fight off a bird. The more Ron tried to control it, the harder he smashed his wand against the wheel. Eventually, it snapped in half. He sat with his mouth agape, just staring at the broken pieces of wood, the tip of which was merely hanging by the unicorn hair core.

The tree seemed to grow angrier the more the car fought, and was becoming increasingly more aggressive. However, the machine soon freed itself and went zipping so quickly across the ground that it was tearing the lawn apart in its path. Their throats were raw and aching from the amount of screaming they had down in a single day. Just before entering the Forbidden Forest, the car came to a sudden halt, threw its door open, and forcibly ejected the children and their belongings. It then went speeding through the trees.

"Wait!" Aralynn cried after it. "Go back home! We weren't supposed to take you!" However, it was long gone. She knew the fallout of their actions from Molly Weasley was guaranteed hell.

Ron was still staring at his wand. "I can't believe this! Look at it! Look at my _wand!_"

Aralynn glanced over and exhaled shakily. "It could be worse."

Harry nodded. "Be thankful it's not your neck."

"How am I supposed to do magic now?!"

Aralynn rubbed her face with her hands. "Ron, I'll buy you a new want. The important question right now is figuring out how to explain why we weren't on the train, why we're late, and why the grounds are imprinted with tire tracks."

"Right," responded Ron absently. "Right—priorities."

"We need to get inside," Harry told them. "Let's go, before this gets any worse."

They changed into their uniforms and quickly put their belongings with the rest of the school's, before beginning to make their way through the halls. They weren't sure if they would make it to the Great Hall in time. At the very least, they could be thankful that they were still alive and had made it to Hogwarts at all.

As they were climbing the stairs, Ron let out a sigh of relief. "Thankfully nobody has noticed. We aren't going to get caught!"

"That is not something I would count on, Mr. Weasley."

They stopped in their tracks to see Severus Snape standing at the head of the staircase. The darkness of his overall being made him seem like the Angel of Death, ready to bestow punishment with one swift movement. Of all the staff who could have caught them; the Potions professor was undeniably the worst.

The man turned and swept away, and they followed, because they knew they had to without being told. There was no question whatsoever about their impending expulsion. They may have had a chance with another professor, but doom was certain with Snape.

He led them through the halls and into his office. It was a dark, unsettling room full of dusty jars of herbs, and other questionable items. Aralynn swore that she had seen a fetal cat in one of them. There was a strong floral scent that Aralynn recognized, but couldn't quite name.

He shoved three chairs towards them and took a seat behind his dark-stained oak desk. He stared at them silently before lifting an issue of the _Daily Prophet_ and flashing them its face. There, in bold print and a moving photograph, they saw Arthur Weasley's car outside of King's Cross Station. The headline read, 'FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES'. The word was out and they were damned.

"Tell me," began Snape with his thick voice like tar. "Why would an enchanted vehicle registered to one Arthur Weasley be spotted, plain as day, flying through a highly Muggle populated location?"

They were stumbling over their explanations when Harry spoke. "We missed the train."

Snape snapped his attention to Harry. "So, you thought it wise to take a joyride rather than inform an adult simply because your errant tardiness caused you to miss the train?"

"No," Harry argued. "The platform was blocked. We weren't late."

"How convenient for you that the platform was somehow blocked, even though you were _on time_." The man sneered hatefully at him. "You always seem to have an explanation or excuse for your misdeeds. I find it incredible how similarly arrogant to your father you are."

Harry grew angry. "No! We—"

Snape slammed the paper down. "YOU WERE SEEN BY _NO LESS_ THAN _SEVEN_ MUGGLES! DO YOU REALIZE THE DANGER OF YOUR IDIOCY? YOU HAVE ALERTED THEM TO _OUR_ WORLD! THIS IS BIGGER THAN YOUR OWN EGO, POTTER! MORE THAN YOU EXISTS IN THIS WORLD!" He then paused. He was no longer screaming, but his voice was still dangerous. "Lest you forget the damage you caused to the Whomping Willow, a valued tree that has been on this property longer than you've been alive!"

Aralynn had had enough. "Professor, I understand the recklessness of our actions, but the platform _was_ blocked. We did the only thing we could think of in that moment. We may not have been very careful, which was our mistake, but we had to get here somehow. As for the tree, I couldn't care less. That tree is dangerous and almost _killed_ us. We're sorry about the article, but we did what we had to do."

Snape was silent for a long time. He stared at her with no response, but soon turned back on Harry. "I am deducting fifty points from Gryffindor for each of you. If I were your Head of House, or even Headmaster of this institution, you would be expelled before you could even leave this room."

"However, Severus, you are not," came the calm and lulling voice of Albus Dumbledore. "I see no reason for expulsion. The remainder of that decision, however, lies with Professor McGonagall."

Minerva McGonagall came into the room and stood beside Dumbledore. She looked between the children. "Come along, you three." She sounded stern, but not angry. Unfortunately, they didn't feel any safer from expulsion while under her care and dictation.

They walked behind McGonagall for a long while before anyone managed to say something. "Should we go and get our things?" Aralynn asked.

McGonagall looked at her. "Why would you do such a thing, Miss Potter?"

The girl looked confused. "We're expelled, aren't we?"

"No, Miss Potter. While I agree with Professor Snape about your foolishness, I don't deem it as grounds for expulsion. I will keep the point deduction, as well as assign each of you a month's worth of detention. Does that seem fair, Miss Potter?"

Aralynn swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes, Professor. More than fair."

McGonagall nodded. "As I thought." She then gestured to the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room. "Your things have been taken to your dormitories. Get some sleep and be prepared to speak with me about your punishment after class tomorrow. I expect nothing less than star behavior from now on. Am I understood?"

The three of them nodded. "Yes, Professor."

"Very good," she said, announced the password to the portrait, then wandered away when it swung open.

The three of them silently trudged to bed, feeling defeated by the entire day.

When Aralynn entered her dorm, she expected to be bombarded with questions from Hermione. However, the room was dark and quiet. All of the girls were asleep. Aralynn felt relieved by this. Though, she knew the circumstances meant that Hermione would be even more intensely inquisitive in the morning. Luckily, Aralynn was far too exhausted to dwell on it all night. As soon as she changed and slipped into the bed, she was dead asleep.

That night, she dreamt of snakes.


End file.
